Shaun Murphy says ‘it’s not fair’ after Chinese snooker amateur Si Jiahui beats him at UK Championship
- Former world champion insists 19-year-old Si ‘deserved the victory’ but ‘shouldn’t be on the table’ following shock 6-5 loss at the York Barbican
- ‘I have earned the right to call myself a professional snooker player. He hasn’t done that’ says world No 6 Murphy – ‘this is our livelihood’
Former world champion Shaun Murphy sounded off on Chinese opponent Si Jiahui after a shock 6-5 loss in the first round of snooker’s UK Championship on Tuesday.
The world No 6 claimed the 19-year-old amateur Si, who turned professional in 2019 before dropping off the main tour last season, “should not be allowed in professional tournaments”.
An amateur top-up at the 128-man tournament at the York Barbican, Si reached the final of the second-tier Q Tour event in Brighton last week, losing 5-1 to England’s David Lilley.
“I am going to sound like a grumpy old man but that young man shouldn’t be in the tournament. It is not fair, it is not right,” Murphy told BBC Radio 5 Live after his loss.
The Englishman had clawed back from 5-1 down with four consecutive frames but could not capitalise on the penultimate red.
“I don’t know why we as a sport allow amateurs to compete in professional tournaments,” Murphy added. “This is our livelihood. This is our living. We are self-employed individuals and not contracted sportsmen. We don’t play for a team.